The invention relates to a discharge apparatus for media and is in particular suitable for free-flowing or bulk media constituted by fine solid particles, which can be pulverulent, powder-like or flour-like. This medium can be discharged in a whirled up, dry dust flow and/or can be at least partly mixed prior to discharge with a further, e.g. a liquid medium. For discharge purposes a random discharge operation performed by the operator takes place and as a result a discharge conveyor is put into operation in such a way that the medium or medium mixture can be discharged into the open through a discharge opening in the discharge apparatus, so that it can be used in the intended way.
Free-flowing media, e.g. for medical or therapeutic purposes, such as for inhalation, as well as for technical and other purposes are used in such a way that they are discharged in a very uniform, loosened distribution of the substantially homogeneously individualized or separated particles. For this purpose, according to the invention, the medium quantity to be discharged in a discharge process can be brought into a reception position sealed off from further medium supplies and in which the initially compact medium is exposed to a gaseous or some other feed flow through which its particles are separated, accompanied by whirling up and are then transported to the discharge opening.
Instead of producing the feed flow by suction or breathing air or a generator or producer separate from the discharge apparatus, appropriately a generator or producer is structurally combined with the discharge apparatus and the basic body thereof is substantially rigidly connected to the basic body of the discharge apparatus. The generator can e.g. be a propellant gas-filled pressure vessel, which can be put into operation by the manual opening of a valve, or is preferably an air or pneumatic pump, which by the mechanical drive of its pump movement sucks in air, compresses it and delivers it in the direction of the reception chamber.
It is particularly advantageous if the generator is approximately axially parallel, equiaxial and/or axially immediately adjacent to a magazine for the medium, because then in the case of small external dimensions of the discharge apparatus short line paths and high efficiency are ensured. The discharge apparatus can also be constructed for manually freely carried, untethered one-handed operation, in which with at least two facing fingers of the user's hand the feed flow is put into operation and consequently medium is discharged.